I am sorry for a negative post but I have written to Disney and also posted a review on facebook which was deleted. I am not sure why as my review was not rude or inflammatory, just not real positive--two stars. Disney also never replied to my complaint which I sent them via mail and e-mail. Again, the content was polite and not aggressive or rude in any way so I just don't understand.
I recently visited Disney World for a week in the middle of September. I had been to the park once before in the 90's. There are a lot of positives to say about the experience--there is plenty to do and the hotel accommodations at the Pop Century resort were very nice. As it is considered one of the cheaper venues, I was expecting something less than what I got. Very clean and well done. The train and tram system runs flawlessly and I never once had to wait longer than five minutes, even after the fireworks and rush. They have to be commended for this. I don't know how they manage it but they move a lot of people efficiently. I was on the dining plan and the dining options were plentiful. The German Oktoboerfest dining at Epcot was great.
Unfortunately, I cannot speak positively for the rest of the experience. From the get-go, things went wrong. The first time I tried to get into the park with the wristband they supply you, it wouldn't take. It took fifteen minutes dealing with one of the customer service people to get it straightened out. Trying to get into Epcot that evening after the Magic Kingdom, the same thing happened--this after being told the issue was fixed. Another long wait to sort things out.During the week-long stay, issues with my account were a recurring theme. On the third day we dined at the Chef Mickeys with the characters. When the bill came, there was some sort of issue which I was told was resolved. Something was causing an issue that required the server to enter the information from my band twice. I asked for verification that It didn't go through twice as it seemed a bit odd. I was assured I was only billed for one table meal. On my second-to-last day, while dining I was I was using my last table service. I told them I had only used four and had six scheduled. They referred me to guest services. Apparently, the server at Chef Mickeys did somehow bill me for two table service meals.
On the second day I rode the Splash Mountain ride and had left my prescription sunglasses in the pouch in the boat. Realizing this, I went back to the gate attendant and asked how I might retrieve them. I was told I would need to check Lost and Found at the end of the day as they cannot do sweeps of the boats. Understandable. At the end of day, I went to lost and found near the main entrance area. It had not shown up and I asked if I could leave my number. I was told they cannot offer this service to call back and I would have to check back periodically. The guy seemed pretty flustered and basically annoyed I was asking. Unfortunately, the glasses never showed up.Entirely my fault for leaving them on the ride but Lost and Found seemed indifferent.
Fortunately, the fast pass system never malfunctioned on my band. We found ourselves planning what we would ride and where. This was nice at first but In the end, this led to feeling like we were on the clock, rushing somewhere and missing everything in-between. This is not something that is Disney's fault but the result was that the experience ;lacked any spontaneity in the end. Oftentimes, we felt herded.This is just not the Disney I knew before. It has become something else. I am not sure what to call it but it is not the original..Perhaps the franchise has grown too large and popular for it's own good? The crowds were quite overwhelming. I was told September was a good time to visit. I would hate to see the crowd in July.
We were also a bit overwhelmed by the number of shops. At times it seemed like were were visiting a giant shopping mall with a few attractions thrown in. Nothing wrong with commercial success but the 'magic' can get deflated pretty quick by the constant in-your-face commercialism that pervades the parks.
What is with people on scooters? Strollers are expected. Wheelchairs here and there yes. But tons of people are riding around on scooters that don't look in any way disabled. It is crowded enough without having to dodge electric vehicles rushing to get wherever they are going.
Overall, customer service was wishy-washy, some employees seemed burned out, indifferent, and seemed like they would rather be anywhere else. With all the planning and rushing to be somewhere, we returned home feeling more burned out than when we left work. The experience was just too sterile and mechanical compared to what we experienced in the past. Disney has lost something.
Also, I am not in any way after a freebie, I wouldn't have the time to rerun any time soon and given the amount of effort in planning etc, vacation time is probably best spent elsewhere. I am just perplexed of the lack of acknowledgement by Disney in any kind of reply.
I recently visited Disney World for a week in the middle of September. I had been to the park once before in the 90's. There are a lot of positives to say about the experience--there is plenty to do and the hotel accommodations at the Pop Century resort were very nice. As it is considered one of the cheaper venues, I was expecting something less than what I got. Very clean and well done. The train and tram system runs flawlessly and I never once had to wait longer than five minutes, even after the fireworks and rush. They have to be commended for this. I don't know how they manage it but they move a lot of people efficiently. I was on the dining plan and the dining options were plentiful. The German Oktoboerfest dining at Epcot was great.
Unfortunately, I cannot speak positively for the rest of the experience. From the get-go, things went wrong. The first time I tried to get into the park with the wristband they supply you, it wouldn't take. It took fifteen minutes dealing with one of the customer service people to get it straightened out. Trying to get into Epcot that evening after the Magic Kingdom, the same thing happened--this after being told the issue was fixed. Another long wait to sort things out.During the week-long stay, issues with my account were a recurring theme. On the third day we dined at the Chef Mickeys with the characters. When the bill came, there was some sort of issue which I was told was resolved. Something was causing an issue that required the server to enter the information from my band twice. I asked for verification that It didn't go through twice as it seemed a bit odd. I was assured I was only billed for one table meal. On my second-to-last day, while dining I was I was using my last table service. I told them I had only used four and had six scheduled. They referred me to guest services. Apparently, the server at Chef Mickeys did somehow bill me for two table service meals.
On the second day I rode the Splash Mountain ride and had left my prescription sunglasses in the pouch in the boat. Realizing this, I went back to the gate attendant and asked how I might retrieve them. I was told I would need to check Lost and Found at the end of the day as they cannot do sweeps of the boats. Understandable. At the end of day, I went to lost and found near the main entrance area. It had not shown up and I asked if I could leave my number. I was told they cannot offer this service to call back and I would have to check back periodically. The guy seemed pretty flustered and basically annoyed I was asking. Unfortunately, the glasses never showed up.Entirely my fault for leaving them on the ride but Lost and Found seemed indifferent.
Fortunately, the fast pass system never malfunctioned on my band. We found ourselves planning what we would ride and where. This was nice at first but In the end, this led to feeling like we were on the clock, rushing somewhere and missing everything in-between. This is not something that is Disney's fault but the result was that the experience ;lacked any spontaneity in the end. Oftentimes, we felt herded.This is just not the Disney I knew before. It has become something else. I am not sure what to call it but it is not the original..Perhaps the franchise has grown too large and popular for it's own good? The crowds were quite overwhelming. I was told September was a good time to visit. I would hate to see the crowd in July.
We were also a bit overwhelmed by the number of shops. At times it seemed like were were visiting a giant shopping mall with a few attractions thrown in. Nothing wrong with commercial success but the 'magic' can get deflated pretty quick by the constant in-your-face commercialism that pervades the parks.
What is with people on scooters? Strollers are expected. Wheelchairs here and there yes. But tons of people are riding around on scooters that don't look in any way disabled. It is crowded enough without having to dodge electric vehicles rushing to get wherever they are going.
Overall, customer service was wishy-washy, some employees seemed burned out, indifferent, and seemed like they would rather be anywhere else. With all the planning and rushing to be somewhere, we returned home feeling more burned out than when we left work. The experience was just too sterile and mechanical compared to what we experienced in the past. Disney has lost something.
Also, I am not in any way after a freebie, I wouldn't have the time to rerun any time soon and given the amount of effort in planning etc, vacation time is probably best spent elsewhere. I am just perplexed of the lack of acknowledgement by Disney in any kind of reply.
